Soundboard floating - an idea whose time has come (Modified by Kent Swafford)

[Phillip Ford]

Soundboard floating - an idea whose time has come - in 1881.

Below are photos of Grotrian Steinweg 4591.  As you can see a pretty  
long
swath of the soundboard is not attached to the rim at the tail of the
instrument.

http://tinyurl.com/c25xd
https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/files/attachments/20/28/2e/95/ 
GrotrianFloat1.jpg

http://tinyurl.com/a9q8b
https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/files/attachments/8b/a7/b1/10/ 
GrotrianFloat2.jpg


The outer rim is cut back in this area so that there is a gap between  
the
soundboard edge and the outer rim.  The inner rim is cut down in this  
area
so that the soundboard is floating above it.  There is a reinforcing  
strip
on the underside of the soundboard along its edge similar to the one on  
the
top side.

http://tinyurl.com/8a4ph
https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/files/attachments/79/3f/59/da/ 
GrotrianFloat3.jpg

The screw that you see in the middle of the floating area goes down  
through
a rib that ends there and into a small block that sits on the inner rim.
Here is a shot from underneath.

http://tinyurl.com/7szbx
https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/files/attachments/e6/b4/a2/4e/ 
GrotrianFloat4.jpg

Note that the ribs run front to back, parallel to the straight side.  So
this rib passes under the bass ends of the two bridges.

Phil Ford